About Dr Truli
Dr. Sandra Truli Springer, VMD, MS-TCVM, CVA, CVFT, CVTP, CVCH, CTCVMP, CTPEP, CVMMP
[Skip to Dr Truli’s Formal Education List of Topics for 2016-2022 so far]
Email anytime for an appointment: DrTruli@VetVMD.com or Call (877) 378-7854 and leave your name, pet’s name, your address & your reason for calling.
Doc Truli comes to the patient- in your home or on your patio!
Doc Truli and Jinx the schnauzer at charity pet costume contest 2014
Truli Holistic Veterinary Services
“House calls for pets? What a great idea!”
Dr. Truli Springer sees your pets in the comfort of your own home. No strange smells, sights or sounds. With over 20 years veterinary experience, she consults on a wide range of pet health and behavior problems.
“Seeing the interactions of the pets in their own home reveals so much more than you’d imagine,” says Dr. Truli Springer.
“My clients are serious, thorough, creative, inquisitive, devoted to their pets. Most wish they could get better answers, better health plans for the future, better options for their pets’ care. Many have spent a lot of money on tests and medicines with sporadic, undetectable or terminal results.”
Doc Truli & 1-Day-Old Goat
“I provide house call concierge-type service with the goals of extending your pet’s lifespan through smarter medicine and lifestyle choices. I have another goal to provide quality of life and more options to pets that would otherwise be euthanized due to their unfortunate diagnosis.
I want to be inspired every day by the work I do and I want you to be inspired and energized. Caring for your pet can be a relaxed, fun, happy, hopeful, creative experience,” says Dr. Truli Springer.
Dr. Truli Springer’s Formal Education
Dr. Sandra Truli Springer (aka Dr Truli) is a 1999 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadephia and Kennett Square at New Bolton Center. She completed pre-veterinary studies at Harvard University in Cambridge and graduated cum laude with Honors English Major at the seven sisters liberal arts Bryn Mawr College on the Main Line in Philadelphia.
She has practiced in Biddeford, Maine (just north of Kennebunkport), Marblehead, Massachusetts, Aventura and Naples, Florida and practices in beautiful, spiritually nourishing Clearwater, Florida and the surrounding Tampa Bay area.
Dr. Truli is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA),
Dr Truli is certified in in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (CTCVMP).
Dr Truli is a Certified Veterinary Food Therapist (CVFT)
Certified Veterinary Tui-na Practitioner (CVTP)
Certified Veterinary Chinese Herbalist (CVCH).
Dr. Truli is also a Certified TCVM Palliative Care and End-of-Life Practitioner (CTPEP)
Certified Human-Animal Bond Practitioner.
Dr Truli is a Certified Veterinary Medical Manipulation Practitioner (CVMMP)
New for 2023! Dr Truli is enrolled in Dr Pitcairn’s Professional Veterinary Homeopathy Master Course. Now taking acute care and sudden illness homeopathic cases.
She is one of a few veterinarians in the United States to earn the Master’s of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine bestowed by the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in Reddick, Florida. Dr Truli’s thesis studied 5-Element Personality Types in Companion Canines published in the American Journal of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine February, 2020.
Dr Truli learned an effective acupuncture technique called Topographic Acupuncture from Dr Bruce Ferguson. Topographic acupuncture helps reveal hidden pain and dysfunction in the channels and sinews (think connective tissue) and typically employs only 1 to 3 needles to treat a sensitive pet.
Veterinary Professional Associations
Dr Truli is a member of:
- Pinellas County Veterinary Medical Association (PCVMA). Secretary 2022-
- American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA).
- American Association of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (AATCVM).
- World Association of Traditional Veterinary Chinese Medicine (WATCVM).
- American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA).
- Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (VBMA).
- Fellow of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA).
- She is the recipient of awards from the American Holistic Veterinary Association (AHVMA), the Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation, and the Merck Veterinary Research Foundation.
This is an exciting time to become a client with Dr. Truli Springer. We select acupuncture, veterinary medical manipulation (VMM), Chinese Medicine, Homeopathic and Functional Medicine cases depending on your wishes and expectation of good results.
Western and Holistic Medicine
Doc Truli is a licensed veterinarian in:
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- Colorado
Dr. Truli Springer’s treatment modalities include:
- Western Medicine
- balanced diet formulations
- VMM Veterinary Medical Manipulation (called veterinary chiropractic or veterinary spinal manipulation in other US states)
- Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM)
- Acupuncture, electroacupuncture, aquapuncture
- Chinese Herbal medicine
- Tui-na an mo medical massage therapy
- food energy analysis, balanced recipe formulations
- Functional Medicine for pets
- Nutritional Response Testing (NRT)
- behavior intervention
- orthomolecular medicine
- osteopathic techniques such as lymphatic drainage and cranial-sacral massage
- Bach Flower remedies
- trigger point massage therapy
- Homeopathy – taking acute cases at this time
- integrative medicine for baseline body function evaluation and course-correction in sickness
Dr. Springer sponsors the pet costume grand prize at Witchstock 2014 in Palm Harbor, Florida
Community Education in the Tampa Bay Area
Dr Truli Springer offers education seminars free to the public at Nature’s Food Patch Patchworks Community Room. October 1st, 2015, we learned about holistic pet care. December 1st covered an introduction to acupuncture for pets. February 6th, 2016 by popular demand, we learned about Five Elements Personality types according to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. In April, 2017, we explored “Cooking for Your Dog.”
Check out the Patchworks calendar for upcoming events!
Where: at the Patchworks community room at Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland Street in Clearwater, Florida, USA.
See Dr. Truli Springer on Fox 13 News Earth Watch
Lindsay Milbourne of Fox 13 News asked Dr Sandra Truli Springer to stop by and discuss natural solutions to help pets with allergies. See our Earth Watch segment here.
If you watch closely, you will see Dr Truli in Animal Planet’s Cats 101 Munchkin episode.
Dr. Truli Springer’s Commitment to Helping Animals Everywhere
Dr Truli Springer also writes inspirational pet medical stories under the keyboard name Doc Truli at www.VirtuaVet.com. Two thousand people from 25 countries read Doc Truli’s inspirational medical stories each day. By reaching out and sharing these stories, Doc Truli is able to help pets in countries where there are no veterinary services. She has also helped pets here in the United States by providing pictures and guidance that helps pet parents communicate the problem to their trusted local veterinarian.
FAQ’s About the Doc
Q: Is Truli your maiden name, or what?
My birth name is Sandra Truli Springer. “Sandra Truli” is my 2-part name like Peter Parker’s love “Mary Jane” has a 2-part name. Truli is a variant of “true” or “truth.” Any version of the name Truli, like Tru, Truly, etc has never been in the top 1,000 baby names in English. (We name our girls Grace, Hope, Charity, Faith…but not Truth. Hmmm…)
The Chinese name for Truli is “Zhen.” (pronounce the Zh like “Zsa” in Zsa Zsa Gabor.) Zhen means inner truth, genuine or precious. It also means acupuncture needle. So, you can see, Dr Truli was meant to be an acupuncture doctor.
Q: What kinds of animals do you see?
Spike Relaxes After Acupuncture
Dr. Sandra Truli Springer is a practicing veterinarian for small animals like cats, dogs, mice, rats rabbits, birds, pot bellied pigs, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets…etc. The Doc has also worked as an emergency pet veterinarian, and a swine production veterinarian. For eight years, she was one of two veterinarians in the practice providing routine medical care for the Miami-Dade canine department.
“Hey Doc, are there any animals you don’t see?”
“Yup. Poisonous animals, illegally kept animals, monkeys, apes, pigs over 30 pounds, and large snakes that require extra handlers to pick them up,” says Doc Truli.
Q: Where’d you go to school?
Doc Truli at Butterfly World, South Florida
A: Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania. With a stop-off at Harvard for extra science classes because I was an undergraduate English, philosophy, linguistics, and art student. Sciences came after the undergraduate degree…
The Chi University in Reddick, Florida, USA for the first Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine program offered outside of China. Also Veterinary Medical Manipulation Certification
Pitcairn Institute of Veterinary Homeopathy in Sedona, Arizona
Q: What Is the Deal with the “VMD?” and the “CVA?”
A: The University of Pennsylvania gives the degrees in Latin. That’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in Latin, Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD). CVA stands for Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist.
Q: What Kinds of Animals Have You Loved & Lived With?
A: Well, starting with
- Charlie, the grey-striped kitten
- Dink (Silver Bell): grey tabby
- Mitzi (Grey Cloud): long hair grey angora cat- she lived to be 17 & went to vet school!
- Timmy (Timothy Snowflake): white angora cat
- Buster (Porthos): seal-pt himalayan- Buster lived to be 20 years old.
Buster Takes His Morning Post by the Faucet
- Kitty (Ketaruh): dilute tortie-point himalayan
- Mildy (G Lester Mildenhall): silver tabby short hair, mackeral tabby short hair
- Scruffy Jones & Scruffy Smith: maine coons
- Circe & Coco: seal point siamese
- Brandie: ascob cocker spaniel, obedience trial champ
- Molly (Tekla Argyll Molly): black and white bearded collie {one of first 400 in the US}
- Doggy (Dog Ernest Nigma): APBT, rednose, tan brindle in the sunlight
- Chihuahua (Chiquita Bovita): black white chihuahua short hair
- Stanzi (Constanza): black & white dalmation
- Ted: tan short-hair chihuahua (he thought he was Texas-size)
- goldfish- betta fish- mice- hamsters
- JC & Lazarus: gerbils
- Wish-Wash, Houdini Miss: rats
- Tropical fish: angels, pearlescent gouramis, silver dollars, weather loach {favorite}, coolie loaches, catfish, horse-face loaches, scissor-tails, neons, mollies, nasty, dirty channel catfish {mistake}
- Sammy: budgie
- Birdie (Othello): cockatiel
- Jackie Car-Key: guinea pig (instead of a copy of my mom’s car key for passing my Driver Test)
- Falcor: thoroughbred horse- one-eyed
- Pepe le Pew: black & white skunk
- Snorkle: piglet
- Merlin: all-black German Shepherd Dog
- Hippolyta and Artemis- Dutch Shepherds
Doc Truli’s 3-year old Dutchie- Artemis aka Missy. She is indeed, the hunter in the family!
Merlin at Lake Saint George in Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
Q: What’s the Strangest Case You Ever Solved?
A: That would be Brinkley, the Golden Retriever Puppy Who Peed Out the Back of His Leg! I’m not kidding!
Q: Do You Have Time for Anything Besides Veterinary Medicine?
A: Feng Shui
A: Modern Chinese science fiction. Check out The Three Body Problem, The Paper Menagerie, and The Wandering Earth.
Dr Truli has recently read: The Fourth Phase of Water by Gerald H Pollack and Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake. Coyote America by Dan Flores is an excellent read.
Current reading is all Homeopathic stuff.
–Dr Sandra Truli Springer (aka Dr Truli)
Dr. Sandra Truli Springer, VMD, MS-TCVM, CVA, CVFT, CVTP, CVCH, CTCVMP, CTPEP, CVMMP
“Truli holistic veterinary services” | Care provided in your home!
Greater Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
Call toll-free 1 (877) DR TRULI | (877) 378-7854
Hi,
I’m glad you’re doing this blog. Thank you.
I came across your resources for pet loss support.
My bouvier service dog, Gadget, died November 19 (less than two months ago). He was dx w/lymphoma in May, went into remission on the MW chemo protocol and seemed to be doing great, then in October, developed MCT. He died of MCT while in remission from lymphoma. It was a brutal six months for me — battling and seemingly defeating one cancer only to have another one show up when we were nearing completion of the protocol, and ravage him in no time. Fortunately, he felt a lot better through most of it than I did.
I have received some great support from pet loss lists and such, but the relationship with, and loss of, an assistance dog has some aspects that are different than those of the loss of a beloved pet.
I decided to start my own blog about it. I’ve only got two posts up so far, but it’s been well received. I just thought you might like to know about it if anyone who’s suffered the loss of an assistance dog contacts you.
It’s called After Gadget. It’s at http://aftergadget.wordpress.com.
Peace,
Sharon
Dear Sharon, thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I wish you peace and understanding as you attempt to make sense of Gadget’s physical transition away from you (for the time being).
I visited your blog, and just had to share your pictures with my friend Terri. Her Bouvier, Lance, passed away recently, leaving her dogless for the first time in forty years. She reminisced and revealed beautiful stories about Lance when she saw Gadget’s pictures on your blog. Lance and Gadget could’ve been brothers if you go by looks.
Keep writing; I’ll keep reading!
Yours,
Doc Truli
Dear Doc Truli,
Thank you so much for your kind reply. I really appreciate it.
The blog has been very healing for me, and getting posts like yours inspires me to keep at it.
Please share my condolences with Terri. It’s a very hard time. If she wants to get in touch and share photos and memories, that would be nice.
Yes, Gadget was a very handsome Bouv, if I do say so myself! But if Terri looks at the different pictures of Gadget, she will see, in true Bouv fashion, that his coat changed color quite a bit over the course of his life. When he was young, it was mostly silver and very brindle (stripey), and by the time he died, it was almost solid charcoal gray. (He also lost outer coat to chemo, so it was much softer and less wiry.) There is a pic up now of Jersey, his predecessor, who started out black and ended up charcoal. She lived to be 13.
Of course, some true Bouv fanciers would be appalled to see some of the pics of Gadget with his coat clipped so short, but we do that for the heat and also in late spring and early fall when the terrible tick/Lyme disease problem here is at its worst. It makes finding even nymphs possible during our nightly tick checks.
But even with the haircut, in the last few years I have noticed a major shift from always being asked, “What kind of dog is that?” to sometimes being asked, “Hey! Is that a bouvier?” For better or worse, more people seem to know about Bouvs!
Peace,
Sharon and the muse of Gadget
Hi Sharon! Hope you had a loving day.
Lance acquired a large lump on his right ribcage. We tested it and found out it was a cancer called hemangiosarcoma in his body wall and extending into his chest cavity. Terri was devastated. Even though she’s a veterinary nurse, and I’m her veterinarian, there was nothing medical we could do for Lance. It was a terrible day when she brought him to me because he was suffering and weak from anemia. I met him when he was aged. He was placid, and docile, and understanding; convenient for me! Sad for Terri. She tells me stories of the days when he bit her friend Dave in the pants because Dave ordered Lance’s friend off the couch, and Lance thought Dave was just a visitor with no right to order anyone around! Lance later saved Dave’s life when a large dog lunged over a fence at Dave. Lance leapt in front of his friend and took the brunt of the attack without hesitation. Lance didn’t even get hurt!
The Bouviers are difficult, opinionated, steadfast, loyal companions.
I hope your little one is everything you desire, and a lot of good surprises, too!
Yes, I have unfortunately had quite the crash course in canine cancer in the past year, and hemangiosarcoma sounds like a particularly horrible one — there seems to be nothing to be done for it, and it causes such terrible suffering.
Lance seems to have been quite the character, and very much a typical bouv!
It’s true that Bouvs are NOT the dog for everyone. If I hadn’t known what I was doing, able and willing to take alpha role, and worked really hard — and had a job for him — I think Gadget would have been “a problem dog” and might not have survived to his second birthday with someone else. (I got him as a one-year-old rescue.)
Gadget fortunately never really bit anyone, but he did have to be taught not to “herd” people by nipping at the elbow in the beginning. Also, several years later, after I’d spent two years in bed, with him in my room all the time, essentially, he got VERY protective of me and “our den.” So, he had to be taught it was not his space to guard, and he had to let other people in, including my phlebotomist, of whom he was particularly distrustful. Fortunately, we got over that issue, and I was getting weekly nursing visits the last four months of his life, and the nurses all thought he was great.
Once, I had an unexpected visit at night from the fire chief (who was just checking on me, but I didn’t know that, or him). So, essentially, a big male stranger came right into the house at night and scared me, and Gadget was the perfect guard dog. He was plastered by my side, barking like crazy and ready to lunge at any provocation. But just holding his ground. Once I realized it was the fire chief, when I told Gadget to quiet and down-stay, he did. And he just watched carefully.
He really was a little “too brave” at times. Such as when he would go after full-grown black bears. Once he TREED one and had the bear-swipe scratch across his chest to prove it. I called him from the car (I’d gone racing after him, and the van was the quickest way to get there), and he came trotting over like, “Hey! Isn’t this GREAT?!” My heart was in my throat! And the porcupines, oy! (I live in the country, obviously.)
But when we were out in public or he was in working mode, he would never dream of anything like that. If you want to see us working together in my home, we have two videos up on youtube. Eventually I plan to put them up on aftergadget.
Here are the URLs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e910pHcUvs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt80nT2N9KE
I hope you, and Terri, if she feels up to it, enjoys them.
Peace,
Sharon and the muse of Gadget
Hi Doc Truli!
I think VirtuaVet is One Lovely Blog, and to prove it I’d like to pass the One Lovely Blog Award on to you. Will you accept this honor? Read about it here:
http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/one-lovely-blog-award/
Peace,
Sharon at After Gadget
Thanks Sharon!
Keep writing, Keep loving, and Keep as Healthy as you possible can!
Yours,
Doc Truli
Hi Doc Truli,
I know you have heard this a million times, BUT I rescued a 2 year old chihuahua from a very abusive home. We already had a 2 1/2 lb male, and it took our Chloe a few weeks to trust us, and not hide. Her previous owners told me she would not go into heat until December. When she put some weight on, I thought it was from not being fed properly (she was devouring food when we got her). Imagine my surprise (and horror) when puppies started coming out! Luckily, with the help of the internet, Chloe had 3 boys, and 1 girl. I already have homes for all the puppies (even though I am quite attached to them!). The problem is Chloe does not seem like she is filling up with milk. I have been supplementing the puppies with a little puppy formula after they finish nursing. They are all gaining weight, even the tiniest little boy. Is there anything I can do to help chloe produce more milk. I have given her some goats milk, tums, tons of water, wet puppy food, I am trying everything! The pups are 4 days old today, I am up all hours making sure they are good, full, and warm, but I am so worried. My little boy was by far the tiniest when he was born, and his umbilical cord was bleeding a lot, but my little runt puts up a fight. I was putting him on Chloe first, keeping the other pups away so he could feed before he siblings crowded her, and his is gaining weight, but is still so tiny. I just want to make sure I am doing everything ok. Going to a vet at this point (unless it is an emergency) is not an option financially. I will do what I have to do though to save each of them. I truly am in love with all four of my pups, and very happy to know when they are old enough, my family will taking them, (except my little one) so I get to see them all the time! I have already sent away for vouchers to get Chloe and the Dad sprayed and neutered so there will be no more pregnancies. BTW~I see you were at Butterfly World, I live not far from there in Coral Springs, small world!
Hi Kristina,
Wow! 4 puppies in a first Chihuahua litter is a ton for mom to handle. I would hand feed the puppies Esbilic, Puppy Milk Replacer (from the pet store, vet’s, or buy online.) If you get the powder and mix it fresh, you save tons of money, but the mixing is a little technical (there’s a guide chart on the package.) It also comes in pre-made cans. For little Chiwas, it might be affordable for you and a lot easier to get the liquid pre-mixed. Do not keep formula open or mixed past 2 days, or it might spoil or grow bacteria that are bad for the puppies.
For mom, keep feeding Chloe puppy food, and giving access to lots of fresh water. DO NOT GIVE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS anymore! (Like the Tums.) This is a common misunderstanding most people have about dogs making milk. If you give extra calcium, you change the hormones in the body and the calcium balance goes off kilter, causing bone weakening in the mom, and LESS calcium for the pups. (Strange but true). It would be perfectly normal if Chloe just cannot produce enough milk for 4 puppies, especially as they grow. You will have to supplementally feed them every 2-4 hours to take the burden off of Chloe. There’s no way to force her body to make more milk than the powerful natural drive she has from the puppies nursing. So let the puppies nurse on Chloe as well as getting a boost from you if they are still hungry.
Sometimes, tiny Chihuahuas need every 4-6 hour feeding until they are 8 or even 12 weeks old to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Chloe will be ready to be spayed when the puppies are weaned at 6 weeks old.
Good Luck! I’m glad VirtuaVet could help you help Chloe be a better mom!
-Doc Truli
P.S. I told my niece that anyone who finds a new kind of animal, bird, or insect (like a butterfly), can name it anything they want! So she spent the day at Butterfly World trying to discover a new species of butterfly so she could name it “Flower!” Too cute!
Thank you for taking such good care of my pussy cat tonight…she’s home now and she’s found a place to hide out for the night…licking her wound….again, thank you for taking her in on such short notice …10 mins for me to get there and 2 min wait…not bad!
Dear Barbara,
You are so very welcome!
Yours,
Doc Springer
Hi Dr. Springer!
I am so glad to see that your office has put an FLDR link on the website.
Bless you,
Happy New Year,
MKH
Hi Dr. Springer! Oh how I miss the best veterinarian I have ever had for my dogs. Bailey and Rosco send Beagle barks and howls from NMB.
Hi, Bailey and Rosco! Stay healthy you two! You can always come visit me at the best beach (Caladesi Beach.)
If you are in the Tampa Bay Area, you can call Dr Supow’s hospital The Animal Healthcare Clinic. They may spay her for the price of a regular spay and not a pyometra spay. If you are not, then call low cost spay and neuter clinics in your area or ask the Humane Society where they recommend. Some hospitals will do that surgery for discount price, but you take risks associated with a surgery during a potential septic crisis.
(Tea Tree oil can be very strong, even toxic to dogs if not diluted properly. To my knowledge, it is antibacterial, not for relaxation.)
Good Luck!
Doc Truli
Omg…I can’t believe I found you! Vic and elmo miss you so much! Elmo is well ..he is 12 now. Vic is still his sweet self, however his anxiety reached a whole new level..he completely destroyed a room in our house, ate the drywall so bad ..huge holes in the wall, looks like a demolition occurred. We had to get a steel crate for him to keep him safe when we’re not home, he really goes bananas. We miss you! : (
So nice to hear from you! I will email you privately so we can catch up.
-Dr. Truli
Vic needs a Traditional Chinese Medical Veterinarian or to come see me. There are Chinese herbal medicines that can seriously help him. Check out TCVM.com resouces…vet referrals to see who you can call in your area. Or come see me in Clearwater.
I’m very interested in your acupuncture home visits. We are moving our beloved senior labs from VA to our home in St Petersburg over Thanksgiving. Our 13 year old female has a tumor on her hip that could be cancerous, but because of her age and the extent of surgery and risks our vet here has recommended pain management and she recommended acupuncture…as well as the move to FL which means warmth and one level living and a pool.
I hope we can connect after the holiday as I’d like to see if you feel Crystal.
BARB WILLEY
Hi Barb! I emailed you privately. Welcome to Florida! -Dr Truli